Plastic Free July

13 June 2018

Belconnen Community Service is embracing Plastic Free July, and with a little preparation you can too!

The concept of going completely plastic free for an entire month can seem a little daunting. Once you start to notice how much plastic is in your life, it can be difficult to un-see it and you might start to feel overwhelmed by the prospect of removing it all.

But it’s not as difficult as you think. Yes, it will take some adjustments, and time to get used to, but a few simple swaps could see you significantly reduce your plastic consumption.

Simple ways to reduce plastic:

Bring your own shopping bags with you. The BCS sewing group will be creating boomerang bags for Plastic Free July to help those who forget their bags. Did you know a plastic bag is used for an average of 12 minutes, but has a 1000 year lifespan?

ask the people at the butcher/deli counter to put your meats and cheese in your own containers

swap cling wrap for beeswax wraps

try shopping at a bulk food store to avoid plastic packaging.

This might look like a long list but you don’t need to dive headfirst into them all. Start with one small step and go from there. Identify where most of your plastic comes from and see if there is a solution to reduce it. It’s going to take time, so go slowly and simply, and do what you can.

Even some major supermarkets have a bulk aisle now, and you can often find bulk options at your local health food store. Maybe shopping in bulk is not an option for you, and that’s okay. You can still opt for recyclable packaging where possible and bring your own bags. Every step counts.

Plastic Free July is a chance to see where you can improve, and explore plastic alternatives.

Will you sign up to the challenge?

Bringing your own bags and containers helps reduce plastic.

These will help out if you forget your own bags.

Penny (left) and Denae (right) showing off their Boomerang Bags.

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